


Budding Love

by Olliercc



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Fluff, Getting Together, Gift Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:07:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28166751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Olliercc/pseuds/Olliercc
Summary: Full Bloom is a small, family owned flower shop that’s currently swamped the week of Valentine’s Day. When another costly order goes completely missing, Kuroo is left to try and track it down; only to find out the post office has been confusing their mail with that of In Bloom, a tattoo parlor on the other side of town.Kuroo’s hoping the owner is willing to negotiate— and Kenma is tired of his workplace being overrun with rumors of a secret admirer who’s been sending all these beautiful arrangements.
Relationships: Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 8
Kudos: 89
Collections: Kuroken Christmas Exchange 2020





	Budding Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ffslynch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ffslynch/gifts).



A cold breeze rolled off the water’s edge this morning, making the early sunrise seem warmer than it truly was against the frigid February backdrop. Kuroo wanted nothing more than to just roll right back into his bed but perhaps it wasn’t just the weather crawling under his skin. It was hell week. And in non-florist melodramaical speech-- it was the week of valentine’s day. From overly insistent boyfriends to last minute planner husbands, the shop was always at max capacity this week and while Kuroo usually preferred to be the charismatic face behind the counter-- his grandfather seemed to think sending him out on deliveries and order pick ups was the best use of his “skills”. It seemed like the New Years/Christmas rush was just last week and he could still feel a shallow ache in his back from being hunched over on his bike delivering to half the city. Though as much it seemed to pain him and as aged as he felt sitting up out of bed to crack his spine; he knew there was very little else he’d rather do than help run the little flower shop that’d been keeping his family going for two generations. 

Kuroo slid from his warm sheets and yawned, padding over to his coffee maker in his small, studio apartment. With eyes still fighting to stay open, he listened to the hisses and pops the old machine made as the air was filled with the scent of French vanilla and Kuroo took his phone off the charger— only for it to buzz immediately. His eyebrows pinched together and the tiny bit of shock woke him up just enough to get the device to his ear as he pulled the hot mug to his lips. 

“Hello?” He croaked, but the words barely came out before the shrill anxiety of his grandmother’s voice met his ears.

“Testu! I’ve been calling you all morning! What in the world are you doing up there, anyway, huh? Your grandfather‘s worked himself up into a complete mess and I was just about to start banging on your door with my broom.” 

Her words were strung together quickly, and while hell week typically put the whole family into a jumble— this seemed to be far worse than just pre-Valentine’s Day jitters. 

Kuroo glanced at the clock, “Grandma, it’s only 8, I’m not supposed to be down there until 8:30, you’re making it sound like it’s the Kanzaki Wedding down there..” Kuroo chuckled, though the sound only came out halfway— memories of that bridezilla from two years back still stinging. And while he wasn’t due down for another half an hour, he moved while he spoke, sipping down his coffee in between words and searching his dresser for a clean pair of jeans. 

“It may not be the Kanzaki Wedding /yet/, but Mr. Satski’s bouquet for his wedding anniversary party this afternoon, hasn’t shown up in the order.” 

Kuroo grew quiet for a second, the weight of the words weighing in on him. 

“Shit..” He huffed, his grandmother usually hitting him in the back of the head for cursing, but she immediately spoke up again. 

“Yeah, and your grandfather has been on the phone with his secretary since day break.” 

Kuroo physically winced. 

“I’ll be right down.” 

Goodbyes were thrown to the wall and Kuroo’s phone nearly joined them as he tossed his half drank coffee into the sink and stripped in record time. He pulled on a pair of a black slacks and a blue dress shirt with his family’s logo embroidered over the pocket, “Full Bloom” written in pretty calligraphy over a bed of tricolored tulips. Still buttoning up the shirt as he rushed down the stairs, coat tucked under his arm, the minute he hit the ground floor he could hear his grandfather on the phone. His tone was soft and apologetic, assuring what Kuroo could only assume, was a very not so happy customer on the other side of the line, that this was just a little hiccup and the order would be right there to him fast. The sound of the bell dinging above the door alerted his grandmother, putting together an arrangement at the counter top as she noticed Kuroo walk in. 

“How many orders has it been since Christmas?” Kuroo asked in a sigh, his grandmother coming around and adjusting his shirt, where he missed a button in his rush. 

“To go missing? That’s the sixth one. And of course, it’s another expensive order.” She gripped quietly, a shallow sigh leaving her lips and Kuroo knew the old sound well.

Being raised by a single mom, Kuroo knew that his family struggled. His mother spent all too many nights on the floor of this flower shop, pricking her fingers as she dethorned roses and slid them into pretty little gift boxes. His grandmother sighed just like his mother— when the bills came in and things were a little over budget, or Kuroo came home and had worn a hole right through three month old volleyball shoes. 

Money was tight— and having to refund six extravagant orders over the past month was weighing on their small family business. Not only were the orders usually expensive, but no matter the cost, it damaged their reputation and that cost them far more in the long run. 

“What was the order? Maybe I can piece it together, with the scraps from the Tanjiro baby shower..” Kuroo offered, sliding into a green apron as he popped behind the counter, sliding open the refrigerator doors at all the bulk flowers they had left. 

“Twenty four white calla lilies, eighteen red roses, twelve pink peonies, and mixed greens including lily of the valley.” Kuroo hissed through his teeth, not only were the flowers definitely on the pricier side, but they were almost exclusively flowers that had to be ordered in. 

Kuroo closed the refrigerator doors and rubbed his forehead. “It was supposed to come off the truck this morning?” He asked, glancing towards the boxes behind the desk— all of which were obviously smaller orders. 

“Your grandfather and I checked eight times, but that’s what the order slip said.” She sighed, leaning against the counter with a deep sigh. 

Kuroo groaned in frustration and went over to the computer, “I swear I fought with the shipping office for three hours about this last time, how does this keep happening?” He grumbled, pulling up the shipping information on the store computer and digging through all the many hell week orders that were still coming through. He finally found it, lit up bright green on his screen with the word “delivered” beside it. Kuroo’s eyebrows only knit closer together before he looked into the details. Delivered this morning, signed for, and accepted— by In Bloom. In Bloom. Kuroo read the name a flower dozen times— figuring it had to be some type of typo before he tossed into the search bar— and sure enough an address on the other side of town popped up. 

In Bloom Tattoo Works. 

The shipping company had been handing off about a half dozen of their most expensive arrangements— to a tattoo parlor. 

He’d been quiet for too long, nearly glued to the screen so when his grandmother approached, Kuroo jumped, earning him a light smack in the arm. 

“Don’t treat me like a ghost when you’re the one staring at the screen like a zombie— what’s going on?” 

“Well, I just figured out a solution to our problem. And— I’m going to make sure to deliver Mr. Satski’s arrangement, personally.” He said, sliding his arms into his coat. 

“What? Tetsu, where are you going, we open in ten minutes?” His grandmother said nervously but Kuroo gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Don’t worry, the first hour is always the laziest— Mr. Satski’s bouquet is just twenty minutes away and the reception for their anniversary party isn’t too far from there, I should be back before the Valentine’s rush really goes full swing. And, this will free Grandpa off the phone.” He explained with a smile, his grandma’s nervous face soon warming, though the anxiety couldn’t fully go away. 

She patted Kuroo’s face with both hands— each covered in bandaids, most likely from roses, the night before and Kuroo’s smile widened. “Trust me, Grandma, I’ve got this.” He said, kissing her worn and calloused palms before she sighed, bringing him into a quick hug. 

“Fine, but you should be careful, okay? That bicycle of yours is a death trap and I have nightmares about you sliding into the road on ice.” 

Kuroo chuckled, sliding from her arms, “I’ll be super careful, grandma. Promise.” He swore before circling back in front of the counter where he grandpa hovered by the phone. 

“Tell his assistant I’ll be dropping it off— hour and a half tops, okay?” He whispered, his grandpa looking confused before he glanced back to his grandmother who gave a nod and a smile. The wrinkles in between his grandfather’s eyebrows softened and he smiled his own big smile, covering the phone receiver, “You be careful, okay? The way you ride your bike gives your grandma a heart attack.” He teased, smile brightening up his face before he returned to the call, Kuroo’s laugh running out the door as he circled the building to find the offender of his grandparents' concerns. 

His old bike he’d had since high school sat up against the alley wall. It was rusty in some places, and the tires were a bit worn, but it got him around this bustling city and it was a hundred times cheaper than a car— so bike it was. He dusted snow off the seat and slid on, putting his phone on the little stand with directions on. 

It was a tattoo parlor on the nice side of town— which sounded a little oxymoronic. Not that tattoo parlors couldn’t be nice— but perhaps it was his grandmother’s views bleeding into his own, but he’d always viewed tattoo parlors as smoky dens filled with bikers. Which made the idea of the shipping company getting their orders confused— just a tiny bit funnier. He pictured the owner of this tattoo shop as this big, tough guy, maybe even with a pompadour— just for good measure; receiving pretty and dainty flower arrangements— and while the idea made him chuckle as he rode up and down the slushy streets— he wondered if that big, tough guy knew what kind of position he’d been putting his family in by not returning those flowers. 

—-

Kenma stared at the newest arrangement now seated on his desk. Sitting down, it was taller than him, and extremely extravagant— the white, pinks, and reds all complimented each other so nicely and while Kenma was no flower expert— they were something he enjoyed and he could tell you; this was no cheap, grocery store bouquet. And neither were the other five. Since Christmas, Kenma had been receiving a bouquet a week. Each was different with nice flowers ranging from orchids to lilies; even one of just extremely nice wildflowers. They were all presented very professionally, and all his staff would tell him was that it was delivered here, with no note, and onto his desk it would go. 

So of course, the rumor mill went into full swing. Kenma was an extremely private person, even with his staff, all of whom he was extremely fond of. People joked that it was part of his “allure”, extremely young, successful, and mysterious. Kenma hated being called all those things however— he was twenty six, and while that was young in relation to the size of the studio he ran; most days Kenma felt extremely old. Successful was a nice term— but the way it was tossed at him in articles and artistic pieces about him; it seemed to allude that Kenma was just one of the lucky ones that fate seemed to smile on— instead of the blood, sweat, and tears that went into making a name for himself and creating his business. And the only reason he was considered mysterious is because he was a very boring person. Despite the success of In Bloom, Kenma didn’t really enjoy the “finer things in life”, nor did he simply run the studio. He designed tattoos and made his art, he just tattooed fewer people himself nowadays. 

And that had to do more with the fact that people; especially those who extremely loved his work and idolized him— were just a touch too much for Kenma to handle. 

Which is exactly what made him apprehensive about this whole “secret admirer” floral arrangement situation. 

He’d heard plenty of water bubbler talk about a prize pool of which frequent customer it was and just the idea made Kenma a walk a little more tense for the rest of the day. It was an extremely nice sentiment. Just perhaps— not the right one for him. 

“Ahem.” 

Kenma’s eyes finally broke away from the beautiful arrangement when the voice of his assistant forced him to. 

“Oh, is that the newest one.” Hinata smiles, rocking on his heels as he approached Kenma’s desk. “Wow, whoever this secret admirer of yours is— they have to be loaded.” 

“Shoyou, I told you, we have no idea if it even is a secret admirer— or even if the flowers are really meant for me; they just show up with no note— and Lev insists on keeping them on my desk.” Kenma said, suddenly feeling a little self conscious about the many arrangements, and Hinata’s grin only grew as he noticed the pink moving in on Kenma’s cheeks and he picked up the bouquet and started to move it. 

“I’m putting it on the front desk.” 

“Aww, so your secret admirer can see it?” 

“Shoyou.” Kenma repeated, practically doing a little waddle with the heavy bouquet as he shuffled from his office, past all the tattoo benches, to the front desk of the studio. 

“Kenma-san, that looks way too heavy for you, let me help!” Lev said, the lanky Russian hollered from his bench, immediately on his feet before Kenma could even protest and like that, the case was out of his hands, nearly toppling into the floor as Lev caught his footing. 

A bit of water spilled and with the water, a little envelope dropped to the ground as well— and if all eyes weren’t on Lev when he nearly dropped the flowers, they were certainly on Kenma as he picked up the little card. 

The boy with two toned hair could feel his heart in his throat as opened the card, treating the pretty piece of paper as if it was a bomb— and when he read the text, he nearly reacted the same. 

I will love you, forever and always.

Kenma knew it was supposed to be romantic, but with no face to the mysterious person behind the flowers, it just didn’t sit right with him. 

“I’ll be in my office.” Kenma said, immediately retreating to the back despite Shoyou and Lev both wanting to follow him. Though both men had known the blonde long enough to know that he just needed a little bit of space in the moment. 

“I wonder what the card said to make him so upset…” Lev said, as always, thinking out loud as he grabbed a rag to clean up the water on the floor. 

Akaashi, another artist in the parlor took a break from tuning his machine to weigh in. “Probably just another creep.” He said, gaining Hinata and Lev’s attention. 

“You really think so?” Hinata said, sitting at a stool in Akaashi’s station. “Not the same one as last time..” 

“Hopefully not— but he wasn’t the first and he wasn’t the last. Unfortunately— it’s always the people who don’t want to be pursued who always get pursued the hardest.” 

“Last time? Does Kenma have an ex or something?” Lev asked, tossing them rag into the sanitizer beneath the check in desk. 

“He’s definitely dated before but nothing serious. He did have an old client though, a businessman who worked in the center of town when Kenma first opened up this place. He was getting tattoos every other week just to see Kenma— and eventually he just confessed to him during a session.” 

Hinata rubbed his face as he remembered the upsetting memory. “Ugh, I hated that sleazeball. Kenma went right to design work alone for a little while after that. It took him a couple months to even see another client.” 

“You think his secret admirer is another creep like that guy?” Lev asked, glancing towards Kenma’s office. 

Akaashi removed his gloves and tossed them in the trash, “I’m not sure, but all I know is that if Kenma’s that upset, it may not be the same guy, but it’s bringing up those old feelings.” 

“Ughhh! That sucks! Anybody who goes out of their way to make other people uncomfortable is really the scum of the earth.” Hinata said, hanging onto his stool as Akaashi grabbed his coat. 

“I don’t think you’re wrong about that. But— I do know some apple pie from the bakery down the street will make Kenma feel at least a little bit better.” 

“Aww! That’s so nice of you Akaashi, I’ll come too.”

Akaashi raised a brow before glancing up at Lev, “... That should be fine. We’ll grab some coffee for everyone too. And Lev, Yaku should be coming in soon— and no one’s scheduled for the next hour so you should be good to just answer phones and keep Kenma company.” 

“Sure can do!” Lev said, hopping behind the check in counter before Hinata bundled and up and he followed Akaashi down the street towards the bakery. 

Usually, Lev would put up a little bit more of a fight about being left alone; but right now he figured the worst that could happen is Kenma’s creepy secret admirer guy would show up and he’d be the absolute perfect person to handle that. 

—-

Kuroo knew it was the nicer side of town, but he didn’t really know how nice until he was trying to park his bike and each place he put it— made it look like he was littering. Eventually, he just decided the most time sensitive thing to do was leave it propped up outside against the tattoo parlor— he was gonna be in and out so hopefully it wasn’t too much of an eyesore. 

He placed it against the building, the kickstand barely holding on as two young men left the tattoo shop. They were dressed nicely and shot him a little bit of a funny look, but Kuroo tried to brush it off. He was here to get his flowers, get them to the Satski’s, and get back in time to help his grandparents. 

Hyping himself up— Kuroo entered the shop— only to notice two things right away. Firstly, the flowers sat right on the desk, not harmed even a little bit. And secondly, the man behind the desk was a very tall guy with silver hair. He looked a little tough but hey, it wasn’t like the guy was going to fight him over the flowers right? This was all just a big misunderstanding. 

“Hey, uh, I’m here about the flowers.” Kuroo managed, not the smoothest introduction— as the man behind the counter seemed to look confused to Kuroo elaborated. 

“Ah, these guys right here actually.” 

Lev’s eyes thinned, the man seeming to puff up a little bit as he crossed his arms over his chest. 

“You sent these?” He asked, Lev trying to make his voice a little deeper than normal and Kuroo looked equal parts confused and a little uneasy. 

“Uh, kind of. There’s been a big mixup, and I’m just here to fix everything actually.” 

“Yeah? And how do you plan on doing that? This mixup has caused our boss a lot of problems, you know.” 

Whatever confusion was written on Kuroo’s face was certainly doubled, the man thinking in the back of his head if this was some kind of shake down— the tattoo parlor has certainly picked the wrong flower shop. Kuroo could barely afford going out to eat once a week, nevertheless whatever tattoo parlor bribery scheme was going on here. 

“Uh, well, I’m sorry to hear about that… how about you just let me talk to your boss and then we can square this away, okay? I’m sure we can work something out.” 

Lev stepped out from behind the check in counter, “I’m gonna have to ask you leave.” He said seriously and Kuroo felt his heart sink. 

“Oh come on, man, I swear I didn’t mean for any kind of trouble for your boss— it’s a big mistake, and it’s not even technically my fault—“

Lev looked offended by that, “You need to take responsibility for your actions. If you are a creep— don’t expect other people to just forgive you.”

Kuroo felt like his head was gonna spin off, “What in the world are you talking about?” He asked, his voice raised probably just a little more than it should and like clockwork, the door to the back room opened and while Kuroo was expecting some tough, biker looking guy— that wasn’t exactly what he saw. 

The man from the back room was of shorter stature with dyed blonde hair and overgrown black roots. His hair was half tied back and black and grey tattoos started at his throat before ducking beneath the black hoodie the man wore, “In Bloom” written in the corner. 

Kuroo swallowed, not realizing how dry his mouth got, but his gaze was interrupted when Lev stepped right into it. 

“I asked you to leave.” He said sternly, but as Kuroo’s mouth opened, Kenma came up to the counter. 

“Leave him alone, Lev.” Kenma said, like calling off a guard dog and the Russian deflated, looking between the two of them.

“But Kenma-san..”

“No butts, we can’t just yell as customers when we feel like it.” 

“But! He’s not even a customer. He’s the flower guy.” 

“Flower guy?” 

Kenma glanced at the flowers and then at Kuroo, tensing up just a little bit as he stood behind the counter. 

“You sent these?” He asked and Kuroo forgot how to speak for a second, the red raised to his cheeks. It was a weird sensation, he wasn’t often thrown off but maybe it was just the huge jump in mood from getting shaken down to the calm tone of the blonde, but Kuroo felt a weird shakiness. 

“Ah, yeah— well, no.” 

Kenma raised a brow before he noticed through the man’s unzipped jacket— the little floral shop insignia above his breast pocket. 

“Oh, you’re the florist.” 

“Yes.” Kuroo said, relief seeming to fill the room. 

“I’ve got this Lev, you can go set up your seat.” 

Lev seemed to hover for a second, the overprotective look on his face not fading as he headed back to his station. 

But the air was less tense. 

“It’s a beautiful arrangement.” Kenma said, a little smile pulling at his lips. “All of them have been— your shops’ really good.” 

Kuroo rubbed the back of his neck, “That’s nice of you to say— I mean— your art’s great.” He said, the shop plastered with original designs— mostly nature pieces with soft lines. Sakura trees, waterfalls, wisteria.

Kuroo has never really wanted a tattoo but perhaps his mind has changed.

“I know you probably can’t tell me, but do you know who sent the flowers? They didn’t have cards— except for this last one— and even that didn’t have a name..” Kenma finally asked, bracing himself for the worst answer but Kuroo laughed. 

“Oh, uh, about that..” He said, Kenma looking at him confused, but he didn’t mind the man’s little nervous shuffle he was doing— moving from one foot to the next. 

He was tall— but clearly harmless; heck he even believed Lev’s tough guy routine. 

“There’s been this big mix up and I think it’s the shipping company’s fault. My grandparents own Full Bloom Floral Arrangements, and somehow they got our names mixed up; and so you’ve been getting some of our packages. So the bouquets actually were supposed to go to different people but we were just thinking they got lost in the mail—“ Kuroo explained, and while he was talking a mile a minute, it dawned on Kenma very quickly that the flowers were never really meant for him. 

“I’m sorry, I know that must be kind of sad to hear— because you seem nice and pretty— I mean pretty nice and I mean— I’d send you flowers— y’know, because you’re nice.”

“Because I’m nice.” Kenma said, not being able to help himself— maybe it was the sudden euphoria of not having a creepy secret admirer, but he couldn’t help but mess with the flustered florist— even if it was just for a second. 

“But seriously, I wish I had caught on to this sooner— I know the bouquets I got weren’t cheap. I can pay you back.” Kenma said, already taking out his check book— and while it was such a tempting offer, Kuroo immediately refused. 

“No, no, it wasn’t your fault. You should have to pay for them. We already took care of it. So don’t worry about it.” Kuroo explained, a warm smile on his face as he put his hands over Kenma’s on the counter— the same ones attempting to write him a check. 

It was a tiny, cliche little jolt and Kuroo knew Kenma felt it by quick his hands and eyes came off him. 

“Sorry—“ 

“It’s fine. Really. Let me at least give this back to you..” Kenma said, picking up the expensive arrangement and Kuroo was quick to help with the heavy piece. 

“Thank you, really, you took such great care of it— I was honestly terrified it was gonna be ruined by the time I got here..”

“I may have killed the first bouquet and it didn’t feel good— so I like to think I’ve gotten a bit better.. at googling how to take care of them.” He said, opening the door for Kuroo. 

The raven haired man smiled wide, “Thank you so much, you really saved me a ton. I can’t thank you enough…” 

“Kenma.” The blonde said, tucking his hands back into his pockets. 

“Nice to meet you Kenma— if you ever feel like actually picking out some flowers, just call us up and I’ll take care of it. Just ask for Kuroo.” 

“Will do.” Kenma said with a smile as the man hobbled over to where he left his bike only to notice the spot was empty. 

“Oh God..” Kuroo groaned, turning around only to notice a bunch of what looked to be middle schoolers running off with the bike around the corner. 

“Hey! Get back here!” Kuroo yelled, only to the eruption of giggles as he leaned back against the glass of In Bloom. “At least ride it!” He screamed, the kids long gone and Kuroo having half a mind to just refund Mr. Satski and call it a day.

To think he thought he was getting a stroke of good luck. 

He closed his eyes, the cold beginning to burn his cheeks and very lightly, he could feel tiny little flecks of snow landing on his face. He sighed, a plume of his breath leaking out into the air as he glanced down at the arrangement. His grandparents worked so hard for every client that ever made an order— and what kind of grandson would he be if he didn’t do the same? 

Kuroo was pulled from his thoughts as the sight of Kenma, now all bundled up, came outside. 

“You looked like you needed a hand..” Kenma said, taking a deep breath as he pressed the fob on his keys and the headlights to a very nice car outside the tattoo parlor lit up. 

“Are you sure? That’s a lot to ask of you..” Kuroo reasoned but Kenma had made up his mind. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. I helped make this mess so let me help you fix it.” 

The smile on Kuroo’s face was blinding— his lips a little chapped from the snow— and his nose all red. But somehow Kenma found himself unable to stop staring— his own face flushing red but at the very least he could blame it on the weather. 

“C’mon. I can help you carry it to the car.. do you have a license?”

Hobbling together, the duo made it to the car, Kuroo’s face apologetic. “No, I’m sorry. I’m used to just riding my bike but it looks like I might need to invest in a less hijackable mode of transportation.” The man joked as Kenma helped Kuroo balance the arrangement on his lap, holding in a chuckle Kenma had to bear down with a stick for fear of dropping the vase.

They got settled in the car, Kuroo as comfortable as  
he could be, squished with the arrangement on his lap. 

“This is a really nice car..Is it new?” Kuroo mused, the car looking brand new with a light tan leather interior and an amazing touch screen— in fact it barely looked used. 

“I don’t really drive much.. I live above the shop so my car’s on hand— but I don’t really like driving.” He said, pulling out into the cluster of mid day traffic the middle of town had to offer. 

Kuroo immediately felt terrible for making the boy do so but Kenma caught his gaze. 

“Don’t worry, Kuroo— like I said, I wouldn’t offer if I couldn’t do it, okay?” 

The man eased his concern a little bit, at least visibly for Kenma’s sake. 

“Sorry— It really means a lot— to me.. and my grandparents..” 

Kenma smiled, saying nothing his eyes turned back towards the road. 

Maybe he didn’t mind going on an adventure with the florist life had just plopped into his lap.

—-

The duo finally arrived at the venue Kuroo had popped into the gps and Kenma could tell, this wasn’t a drop-in kind of event. Nice cars filled the venue’s parking lot— now covered in a light dusting of snow, and staff in fancy clothes were greeting guests at the entrance. 

“Oh no, it’s already started..” Kuroo said nervously as Kenma parked, helping the raven haired man out with the lovely flower arrangement still intact. 

“Don’t worry, they’re still letting people in— it’s okay..” Kenma reassured as they made it up towards the entrance and just as they were getting close— one of the guards at the entrance seemed to notice. 

“Excuse me— this is a private event..” The man explained, a judgemental glance towards the pair. 

Kuroo was sure it was a mistake, a wide smile on his face, “Totally— I understand. I’m Mr. Satski’s florist— this is the arrangement he ordered for his wife.” 

The guard seemed to pay no heed—talking into an earpiece as Kenma looked to Kuroo. 

“Kuroo..” The blonde muttered in just above a whisper, catching the florist’s gauze. 

“What?” 

“I don’t think this guy’s letting us in..”

“Huh? I bet he’s just checking with Mr. Satski.”

Kenma began to notice other guards heading over and he cleared his throat. 

“C’mon Kuroo let’s get out of here.” He said loudly,  
Dragging Kuroo back toward the car where he then ducked behind a hedge, trying to keep the flowers as snow-free as possible. 

“What the hell! What an ass..” Kuroo grumbled, Kenma doing his best not to chuckle at the man’s sour face. 

“We don’t really look the part of Mr. Satski’s guests or his staff— so he’s not gonna just let us waltz in…” 

Kuroo glanced down at himself, his own clothes a bit raggedy— after all he didn’t usually wear his Sunday best while running errands for the shop. Kenma on the other hand— with swirling tattoos on his neck, really didn’t help their case. 

“There is a staff entrance right over there— it can’t hurt to try..” Kuroo explained, pointing toward the furthest side of the building. 

“Alright, one, two, three..” Kenma said before they lifted the vase again and shimmied as carefully as they could toward the employee entrance. Thankfully, the guards weren’t over here but tons of staff were rushing every which way. From servers to entertainers, they were dressed in nice monochromatic clothes with each having an ear piece and while Kenma and Kuroo certainly did not fit the bill— everyone here was too busy to question them. 

“Do you know where we are headed?” Kenma asked as they padded their way down the long back halls.

“All I have to do is find Mr. Satski and just let him know the arrangements here, and then we’re free to go.” 

Kuroo said it like it was easy and up and down the back halls they went. 

Empty ballrooms to full meeting rooms, they were dodging the security guards left and right. It was a huge venue so they headed closer to the entrance where they’d entered. Kenma then noticed the servers all heading towards a specific venue room. 

“This must be it..” Kuroo said, slipping behind a waiter. The man turned his nose up at Kuroo and the raven haired man rolled his eyes, but he would not be stopped. They came this far after all. 

They entered the room to the sound of chatter and the dazzling sight of antique chandeliers hoisted from the ceiling. White, pink, and red satin banners were pinned to the walls and each table at a small centerpiece of candles and artwork. Even the people gathered wore outfits that shimmered in the low light. 

“There he is..” Kuroo whispered he led Kenma to an older man in a deep blue suit, smiling and chatting among the guests. 

There was an empty table beside him and Kuroo set down the flowers, dusting the light flecks of snow off before Kenma stepped back and the brunette got his attention. 

“Excuse me, Sir?” 

Mr. Satski turned, not the most pleasant look on his face but he looked to Kuroo and his greeting brows pushed together. 

“What can I do for you, son?” He asked, hands sliding into his pockets and Kuroo smiled wide. 

“My name is Kuroo Tetsurou, from Full Bloom—- your assistant talked to my grandfather this morning and so I brought the arrangement for your wife right to you.” 

The man’s face softened, noticing the young man, gently damp with snow and a tad bit out of breath. He looked a mess— but he could see the hard work he had put into something so simple as delivering flowers. 

“You can always trust a family business to get the job done right.. “ Mr. Satski chuckled, taking Kuroo’s hand and shaking it. 

“It’s a lovely arrangement— and I bet the next one will be even better..” He said with a wink and a laugh before he turned to his friends, of which seemed to be admiring the arrangement as well. 

It wasn’t the biggest thank you in the world, but it felt amazing when Kuroo was sure this wasn’t going to happen at all. 

Kuroo smiled wide and nearly ran over to Kenma, “Thank you… thank you so much..” He said, his cheeks hurting from how stretched his lips were. 

Kenma chuckled, “All I did was not kill us with my car..” He said as the duo walked out Kuroo nudging him with his arm as the two laughed, headed out the staff exit. 

“Hey!” A man shouted, both of their heads turning to see the guard from earlier and their chuckles exploded into full blown laughs as they fled the venue— running like deer as they moved across the slippery parking lot. 

By the time they made it back in the car their fingers and toes were numb with the cold and their stomachs ached from laughing as all the windows were coated in the steam of their breathing. 

“Is this usually how you do your flower delivery service? You should stream this, you’d make good money..” Kenma joked as he turned on the heat and the fog started to slowly melt away. 

“I’d definitely say this is the most fun I’ve had on a delivery but I don’t usually get such cool delivery partners..”

“Oh so I’m cool now…” Kenma teased. 

Kuroo’s eyes rolled, smile still plastered on his face, “Yeah and nice..” 

“And?” 

Kuroo couldn’t believe the memory on his boy— his cheeks burning. 

“And pretty, yeah.” 

Kenma chuckled, pulling out, “Just wanted to make sure you’re keeping a list..” 

—- 

They pulled into Full Bloom, a good hour later than Kuroo promised. The raven haired man sighed, “I may have saved Mr. Satski’s order but I’m sure my grandma is gonna kill me for leaving her to handle to all the Valentine’s Day orders herself.” 

“I’m sure she’ll forgive you once you tell her how you wowed Mr. Satski… and that you got yourself another customer.” 

Kenma handed Kuroo a folded piece of paper and the man unrolled it to reveal a check, the man sighing. 

“I appreciate it, Kenma, I really do but you already helped too much, I can’t let you pay for all those bouquets.” 

“I know— that’s why I’m not.” 

Kuroo’s brows pinched. 

“I’m actually gonna miss it.. so here’s so I don’t. Don’t really think of them as flowers for me— but more for the shop. You pick out the flowers and I’m sure they’ll be great..” He smiled— Kuroo’s tough face immediately melting with a great big grin and pink filling his cheeks. 

“Ah.. well I guess I can’t say no to that then..” 

“Good.”

Kuroo slipped the check into his pocket and slipped from the car before he leaned down in the doorway. 

“.. You don’t happen to be free Thursday night, are you?” 

“... I’m free— but that’s Valentine’s Day… aren’t you gonna be busy being the best flower delivery boy in town?” 

“During the day? Absolutely. But I think I want to finish my night with my favorite delivery.. to a really cool, nice, pretty guy I know…” 

Kenma chuckled, rolling his eyes. 

“...Make sure you bring the lovable, kind, dork to our date..” 

Kuroo laughed, shutting the car door and watching Kenma go.

It seemed like hell week wasn’t going to be that bad this year, and who knew— maybe he’d let the shipping company make just a few more mistakes before he notified them. He really could use the help delivering orders this week.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you ffslynch (ffskuroo on Twitter) for giving me the awesome opportunity to participate in this gift exchange! When I saw tattoo parlor/flower shop I just couldn’t help myself. I hope you enjoy! Happy Holidays!
> 
> Secret Fact: I love a move a cute flower shop I based Full Bloom off of, but that’s doesn’t mean I actually know how they work so please excuse any inaccuracies! :)


End file.
